Born to parents who had emigrated to Canada from Barbados in 1964, Brathwaite was signed to the National Hockey League as an undrafted free agent following his junior days in the Ontario Hockey League. After several season with the Oilers and their farm affiliates, he joined the Flames in 1998. In Calgary, his acrobatic style made him a fan-favourite; chants of "Freddy" were common after brilliant saves from him.